Small Steps
by Can't Blink
Summary: One-shot. Takes place after Point Proven. Rodan conveys Ni's message to Ichi, as well as shares a bit more about San's troubled thoughts. He's trying his best to help Ghidorah in any small way he can, and maybe his efforts aren't going unnoticed.


It came to a surprise to Rodan that it wasn't San that takes the final shift of the night, but Ichi.

Ni didn't even give San a glance as he pushed his snout with force against his older brother's, waking him quickly with a growl. It was a bit of a disappointment, as Rodan wanted an opportunity to speak to San one-on-one, and knew guard duty was the best time. Honestly though, he should probably be a bit more annoyed that he kept himself up for nothing, but it wasn't as if he would be getting good sleep anyway.

Everything still hurt.

There were no words spoken between the brothers, not even a passing glare as Ni placed his head onto their curled up right tail. He had made no acknowledgement towards the bird, seemingly uncaring as to whether he would actually go through with telling Ichi his message or not.

Ichi shook himself a bit before yawning; he was clearly not used to having the last shift, but it seemed he was taking it anyway. Probably because San was in no condition to be keeping watch, Rodan should've known that sooner. Damn. But as he continued to watch with droopy eyes, he noticed that the middle head seemed tired in another way, not just from sleepiness. The way he looked at San, who was still motionless and silent under the wing, and then at Ni…

Rodan knew the lead head had a lot on his shoulders. He can almost _feel_ the weight himself as Ichi let out a breath. Never before has he seen him look so… defeated.

He wondered if it was a good idea to talk right now, but he decided to take the risk anyway. He lifted his head off the edge of the pool. "Hey, uh… Ghidorah?"

His voice was soft and thick with sleep deprivation, but it seemed to have startled Ichi nonetheless, as the dragon lifted his head sharply before turning to look at him from the corner of an eye. Despite his own tired state, his voice remained its usual firm tone. "You are to be asleep."

"Yeah, I wish…" Rodan muttered a response. Ichi probably can't even FATHOM how much Rodan wanted sleep to come so easily. But at least the lack of sleep meant that he was able to talk to each head privately, so there's that little perk. Totally worth it, especially during a time like this. "Anyway, I was told to tell you something by your brother." He nodded his head softly towards Ni and Ichi had a glint of surprise in his eye. He was no doubt amazed that Ni actually continued talking to him, especially given the lack of any new injuries adorning the bird's body.

"Is that so?"

Rodan again nodded, glancing at Ni to make sure he was truly asleep before leaning forward a bit and muttering like he was sharing a secret. "Yeah, and to be honest…" Another quick glance at Ni. "I think he's afraid."

This earned a slow blink from the dragon, Ichi's brows furrowing as he turned to look at the bird completely. He stared at Rodan intently, scanning him as if looking for signs of deception. But Rodan knew he was clean and Ichi must've seen that as he lets out a snort. "You are mistaken, then. Fear is not something Brother Ni, -or I for that matter-, is capable of feeling."

Rodan felt he could argue with that…

He _wanted_ to argue with that.

It would be SO great to argue with that!

But alas, he decided not to. He had more important matters than fucking around with potentially dangerous pokes at the dragon's ego. Maybe some other time but the situation now was too serious for that. He instead shrugged, wincing a bit as he does. Yeah, both his shoulders did not like that movement at all.

"Well, it's something, then. Just calling it how I see it." He glanced at Ni again before continuing. "He wanted me to tell you: He doesn't want to care about either of you because it's weakness to love someone, and how it can leave you vulnerable to be exploited. He said San proves that with what happened earlier, and he doesn't want to be put into that same position."

Ichi doesn't say anything to this, and the bird took that as an opportunity to continue. "That has me thinking he's afraid. Afraid of getting hurt, like San was. Whether that's true or not, I don't know. You know him better than me, obviously."

"I see…" was all Ichi muttered, his eyes moving to his second-in-command. But Rodan figured that if he was going to talk, then he needed to cover all the bases with everything he knew, as his eyes flickered to San.

"Also, I think I should tell you what San said to me the other night. Y'know, that night after we became mates…" Although Ichi hasn't turned back to him, he knew he had his attention regardless. "He was talking to me, saying how Ni hates him and he was trying to figure out how to get him to love him, and… He mentioned something that really seemed to bother him."

"Get to the point, slave," Ichi says, although it lacked any sort of angry edge.

"He was beginning to wonder if you hated him too…"

At once, Ichi looked to him and Rodan turned his eyes back to meet his.

"He said Ni bites him all the time, and how you do too. I think HE thinks that since Ni bites him and hates him, you biting him means that you hate him too. I told him that wasn't true, but with what happened earlier, I wouldn't be surprised if he now thinks that it is."

Rodan wasn't sure how to describe the look in Ichi's eyes as the middle head turned to look towards San. He lifted the wing hiding the little one, revealing an uncleaned face and two small gleams of light. Eyes reflecting the glow of the lava. San was still awake after all, but his eyes were half-lidded, glassy, and unfocused. It was clear he wasn't all there, and made no acknowledgement to the wing being lifted from him. It shattered Rodan's heart to pieces to see his mate in such a state.

The pterosaur still had difficulty comprehending that San attacked Ichi like that. When he startled awake at the shrieking, he was certain his eyes was playing tricks on him when he saw San's jaws latched onto the alpha's throat like that. He thought he was confusing his left and right, and had to double check himself just to be sure it wasn't Ni acting out.

How horrified he was when he realized that it really was San, and the horror increased when Ichi refused to let him save the little one from punishment. The screams, the tears…

But even through the terrible memories, he forced himself to continue. "Whatever happened when San attacked you, just… Don't hate him for it." The wrathful look in Ichi's eyes during the incident haunted him as he said that. "Please, don't hate him. I don't think he can handle anymore…"

Ichi didn't seem to hear him, or at least didn't acknowledge him. Instead, he just stared silently at the youngest brother, face expressionless. Slowly, very slowly, he leaned down and nudged San's snout with his own. The left head did nothing to respond, not even blinking. Really, if it wasn't for the fact that he was drawing breath, Rodan would've easily mistaken him as being dead.

Really, it reminded him of how Ni looked after they mated…

Rodan doesn't say anything more, letting the silence settle over them as the eldest gently nuzzled against San. To be honest, this was the first time the bird has ever seen Ichi do this. He didn't seem adverse to affection like Ni was, but he didn't exactly encourage it either. Whenever nuzzled or groomed by either San or himself, Ichi just lets it happen.

Of course, Rodan thought it was clear that Ichi cared a lot about his brothers and he does show affection in his own way. Just 'his own way' was rather subtle. But now, it seemed the alpha knew that San really needed the nuzzle, if just to show that his love remained intact despite what happened. To destroy whatever doubt San harbored over the matter.

Too bad San wasn't actually _there_ to see it…

Hopefully, things can get sorted by morning. Rodan told himself that he would make sure they at least TRY to talk to each other when morning comes. Even if it meant another fight with Ni and the risk of getting himself killed. He just wanted his mates to be happy again and since he was the one responsible for this whole mess to begin with, he should do everything in his power to fix it.

Even if it killed him.

Without a word, Ichi pulled away and replaced their wing over his little brother like a blanket. He lets out another breath, and returned his eyes to the horizon. To the sky. Rodan wondered what thoughts were going through his head, and if there was anything he could do right now to help. Maybe…

He pulled himself from the volcano's magma pool, barely earning a backward's glance from the hydra at his sudden movement. He limped over to his mate slowly, respectfully, before he pushed his beak into Ichi's neck.

The muscles beneath the golden scales seemed really tense, and Rodan realized just how tightly Ghidorah must've been holding themselves the past couple of days. All the stress and hardship between them really seemed to be taking a toll on Ichi, and Rodan admired how he's been able to keep himself together during all this. A strong leader, he was without a doubt, but it seemed even he could use a bit of outside help. No matter how small.

The pterosaur delicately spread his uninjured wing over their back to rest over them, hoping the heat from his body can help them relax. Ichi was already watching him from the corner of an eye, but Rodan was undeterred as his nuzzles turned into grooms.

Gentle, loving grooms.

The middle head just kept watching silently and did nothing to stop him, as is usually the case. After a few moments, the dragon turned his attention back to his guard duty but Rodan swore that maybe, JUST MAYBE, he felt Ichi lean a bit into him.

Or maybe that was just his tired mind playing tricks on him.


End file.
